As often the case, I tend to fill myself with the foods I love. My compulsive nature makes it easy (and normal, at least for me) to eat the same dish daily—sometimes for a whole week!

However, having pasta for two weeks straight has finally reached its physical toll on me: I am bloated.

So today, even though I was craving even more pasta, I decided to lay off the carbs for a while. Well, not too long. I had planned a shrimp dish with fettucine so I replaced the noodles with zucchini instead.

Using my mandoline, I sliced the zucchinis into ribbons to simulate the fettucine. Because the zukes tend to be slightly bitter, I needed my sauce to be able to stand up to them.

Looking in my refrigerator, I came up with mushrooms and roasted bell peppers. I minced the mushrooms and made duxelles. Duxelles are finely chopped mushrooms which are sautéed in butter with shallots, garlic, and herbs–in this case, Italian flat leaf parsley. It is then reduced with white wine (leftover Pinot Gris) until a paste is formed. The reduction creates a highly intense mushroom flavor that lends itself well to sauces, tarts, stuffings,  and soups.

To complete my sauce, I added puréed roasted bell pepper and olive oil. The shrimp and more parsley are then added as the sauce thickens slightly. As for the zucchini “pasta”, I toss them lightly in white wine until slightly soft.

The result, a satisfying dish that made me forget about pasta, even just for a moment.

My sauce has gone through many interpretations over the years that I literally do not remember how much. I’ve started with the simple meat sauce, to adding bacon, ham, chicken, various sausages, and venison. At one point, I actually had the everything in there.

Whatever else I put in my sauce, the one constant is the sauce itself.

My sauce is prepared from scratch. I don’t use canned tomato sauce, but do use canned plum tomatoes and tomato paste. Canned tomatoes are picked at their freshest and have fuller flavors than their fresh counterparts. The paste adds a intense tomato kick and provides the necessary depth canned tomatoes lack.

The sauce is stewed for until the tomatoes have completely fallen apart. While the sauce is stewing, I prepare the meat and sautée the vegetables, usually onions, garlic, and green bell peppers. Once the tomatoes are done, I add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for another hour. My sauce ir pretty much a half-day event so I only make it on the weekends when I would have the time.

Lately, I have been making simpler sauces. Simple as in no wild and crazy meats, sausages, etc. When I am feeling exta special, I do make meatballs.

My meatballs has gone their own transmutation as well. Starting with the size of a golf ball, they grew into colossal proportions—at one time as big as a grapefruit. I’ve gone from all beef to a combination of beef, pork, and veal. Like my sauce, my meatballs have come full circle. Pun intended…

Today, my spaghetti and meatballs taste the same way I remember making them over twenty years ago. Sometimes, the simple is better.

This one was very easy and quick to make. Reducing the balsamic vinegar to a thick, syrupy consistency probably took the longest. To me, anything on a stick is a great reminder of summer picnics or backyard barbecues.

Cubed seedless watermelon, cherry tomatoes, and torn basil leaves are skewered together and drizzled with the balsamic reduction. A sprinkling of fleur de sel finishes it off nicely.

Maybe if I wish really. harder, it would be summer very soon…

On my latest trip to Canada, I happened to chance upon a souvenir shop that specialized in crafts made by local artists.  Among them were hand-knitted sweaters, sculptures, paintings, and jewelry. The one thing that really caught my attention was the mezzaluna.

A mezzaluna, Italian for “half moon,” is a curved knife that makes chopping fast and efficient. Also known as an “ulu” in Alaska and Western Canada, it is the best tool for chopping and mincing. This is done by simply rocking the blade back and forth over herbs, onions, garlic, and other small vegetables. And probably its best feature is that it keeps both hands safely wrapped around the handles while chopping furiously. No more missing fingers!

I owned a mezzaluna before, but this one was expertly crafted and came with a matching maple wood bowl. The bowl itself is concave which works extremely well with the knife’s design.

The mezzaluna is double-bladed and measures six inches. Forged from high carbon stainless steel, the blades are secured with matching maple handles.

This weekend, I was finally able to use it when I needed chopped Italian parsley for my rigati con acciughe. In no time, I had perfectly chopped parsley without the bruising commonly caused by straight-edged knives.

To prevent the maple bowl from cracking and developing odors, I season it with mineral oil. By doing this every after use, I can ensure I would be chopping for many more years to come.

Check out the before and after photos below:

It’s hard to imagine that just two days ago, it was sunny and warm. Well, warm for us here in the Pacific Northwest. I had almost put away my thick coats and have been using lightweight jackets instead. Even in the evenings, it’s been relatively frost-free.

So for dinner tonight, I wanted something to make me forget of the snow and hopefully transport me into the near future when I can feel a bead of sweat forming around my temples.

I combined two of my summer favorites, prosciutto and melon, and Caprese salad. I had some fresh bocconcini so I ended up making melon balls and used grape tomatoes to make a fun starter for dinner. Bocconcini is a small, round semi-soft cheese similar to mozarella. Fresh-cracked pepper and Meyer lemon juice tied everything together.

I can almost feel sand between my toes…

]]> http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/03/08/great-balls-of-summer/feed/ 0 itaintsobad Prosciutto with Melon and Caprese http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/dont-hold-the-anchovies/ http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/dont-hold-the-anchovies/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:37:59 +0000 Chas http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/?p=1507 ]]> One of the jobs I had while in college was as a doorman for the Holiday Inn at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. My sister-in-law Alicia was the executive secretary and she recommended me for the position. I was only 19 when I started and I really enjoyed working there.  Not only did I have a great experience, I also made many wonderful friends.

Although I didn’t have any previous experience as an actual doorman, I knew a few things about opening doors since I’ve done that many times before.  To date, the job was the least stressful and most fun I’ve had. I only worked four days a week: Thursday and Fridays from 2 PM to 10 PM, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 AM to 3 PM.

One of the perks of working as a doorman in San Francisco was the comped dinners at local restaurants.  In return for this gesture, I would gladly recommend their restaurants to the guests staying at our hotel.

The hotel provided us with good food when we worked.  However, as a starving student who lived on his own, I looked forward to the free meals bestowed upon me.

The Stinking Rose, a garlic-inspired restaurant on North Beach, was a favorite haunt of mine. As an impressionable youth with a strong affinity for the smelly bulb, I did not hesitate sending people over any chance I got. Sure, there were seafood joints in every corner of the Wharf, but The Stinking Rose was special indeed.

It was there where I first tried a bagna cauda—-an Italian warm “dip”, similar to a fondue. Literally meaning “hot bath”, it contained tons of garlic, butter, olive oil, wine, and anchovies. I know many people crinkle their noses when they hear anchovies, but they add the necessary saltiness and the depth the bagna cauda required. Without it, the whole thing would be just a greasy glop.

Being the frugal person that I am, I would bring home any leftovers I had, no matter how small the portions were.

One evening, tired from work and still hungry, I looked in my refrigerator for something to eat. To my dismay, all I had was the leftover bagna cauda from two nights before. Typically served with vegetables and crusty bread, I had nothing to dip it with.

I frantically searched by sparse cupboard and all I had were boxed pasta. My “a-ha” moment came when I realized the bagna cauda would make an excellent sauce for my spaghetti noodles.

Since then, I make my “pasta con acciughe.” What began as a humble dish during my lean times, it has evolved into one of my favorite comfort dishes.

The recipe itself is really simple: lots of garlic, anchovies, wine, butter, and olive oil. These items are a pantry staple for me so whenever I need something quick (and delicious) to eat, I can always make it. I’ve experimented with adding different ingredients such as wild mushrooms, onions, pepper flakes, or cream, but the original remains the best. The only thing I include now is Italian parsley to enhance the taste and give some visual interest.

Tonight, I made some to celebrate the fact that I am home and able to make dinner for myself. After a couple of rough months of endless work, I was able to enjoy a simple, elegant homemade meal. Served with garlicky crostini and shaved Parmagiano-Reggiano, I was in heaven.

Who cares about the garlic AND. fishy breath?

]]> http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/dont-hold-the-anchovies/feed/ 2 itaintsobad Rigati Con Acciughe http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/thai-one-on/ http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/thai-one-on/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:02:04 +0000 Chas http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/?p=1502 ]]> With only a few free days available to me this month, I am trying to cook as  much as I can. Although I am home for only a short time, I didn’t want to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen.

During the past several weeks, I have eaten out 90% of the time. And when I do, I tend to go places that offer food similarly to those I would get if I were home.  On two separate occasions, I tried a Thai restaurant. Having lived in cities where Thai food was readily available, I can confidently say I know what I’m eating.

Unfortunately, the two places I visited did not know what they were cooking. Though there hints of lemongrass and sweet basil in the dishes I ordered, they were too westernized for my palate. Knowing it was either these or McDonald’s, I suffered through the meal and headed back to my hotel room quite disappointed.

Now that I am home (albeit for only a short time) I decided to make my Pad Thai and give it the glorious respect it deserves.

Tamarind juice gives the dish its familiar sweet and tangy flavor, while fish sauce brings it all together with its briny, saltiness. Chicken and shrimp were added to the sauce and then stir fried with flat rice noodles. Scrambled eggs, bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, and chilis all joined the party. A squeeze of lime and some chopped peanuts completed the dish.

As it is most often the case, I made enough to feed several people for a couple of days. At least I already know what I’ll be having for dinner tomorrow…

Although I enjoy this part of my job, I miss the many comforts I can only appreicate when I am home. One of these is cooking.

These past few weeks were so hectic that I hardly had time to prepare my own meal. Always on the go, restaurant food had  unfortunately become my standard fare. Today, was rare treat: I made myself breakfast.

My typical breakfast often consist of a protein shake and a fruit, usually a banana. This morning, I wanted something special, something just for me. I didn’t want to do anything elaborate or time-consuming. What I really wanted were eggs.

Most of the time, I would make scrambled eggs. And today, I definitely wanted them. I prefer my scramble a little bit wet or runny, creamy, buttery, and fluffy. I add some cream to achieve the creaminess and whip them to a frenzy. To get the runny consistency, I let the eggs finish cooking off the heat when they are halfway done. The residual heat from the pan continues the cooking process without overcooking them. A couple pats of butter are added while they are still warm finishes it off quite nicely.

I normally would just serve this on a plate and with buttered sourdough toast. But since today was my day, I decided to got a little fancy: I placed the eggs back in their shells (washed, of course) and on my favorite egg cups. Topped with chives, I felt special indeed.

]]> http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/truly-eggceptional/feed/ 0 itaintsobad Scrambled Eggs with Chives http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/always-and-forever/ http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/always-and-forever/#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:23:25 +0000 Chas http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/?p=1484 ]]> Love may come and love my go. Love can pass you up,  love can hurt you so.

On Valentine’s Day, I can always count on one thing: candy hearts.

No matter the state of my heart, these little sugary sweetness of saccharine sentiments will always be my Valentine. When I was in sixth grade, my secret cupid gave me a box of candy hearts, along with a card that had a cute bee which said “Bee Mine.” Lisa Tresh, of the Wacky Wafers fame, shot her arrow and forever ignited my fondness for these treats.

These conversation hearts are made by NECCO, manufacturer of many favorite childhood confections such as Mary Janes, Squirrel Nuts, and Candy Buttons. The hearts  contain coyingly cute sayings such as the standards “Kiss Me,” “I ♥.You,” and “Be Mine.” To keep up with the times, new phrases have been created. “Don’t Tell,” “XOXO,” and “Got Love?” are just a few of the more recent additions.

According to their website, NECCO must produce about 100,000 pounds of the candy hearts every day in order to meet the Valentine demand, when about 8 billion hearts are sold in six weeks. I hate to admit that a sizable portion of those will be purchased by me. You don’t think so? Just check out the photo below…

So, to all that I have loved before, those who I love now, and those I will probably love in the future, I wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day!

]]> http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/always-and-forever/feed/ 1 itaintsobad NECCO Candy Hearts http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/fondue/ http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/fondue/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:38:32 +0000 Chas http://itaintsobad.wordpress.com/?p=1479 ]]> I have been a very good boy lately: ate all my vegetables, washed behind my ears, did all my chores, took out the garbage, said my “thanks” and “pleases”…

My reward tonite was fondue for dinner. Yes, that clichéd, 70′s throwback has become popular once again these past few years. So popular that even I own a couple of fondue sets and include The Melting Pot (a restaurant specialing in, what else, fondue) as one of my favorite restaurants.

Except tonight’s fondue was not the savory kind, but the chocolate one instead. I chose this for my dinner because it was quick and easy to prepare, and I pretty much had the dippers I needed on hand. These included fresh strawberries, segmented oranges, bananas, brownies, and pretzels—the only thing I was missing were pineapples and marshmallows.

Like I said, this was simple to make: heavy cream and bittersweet chocolate. Basically, it’s a ganache that’s kept melted and warm. Bittersweet works much better than semi-sweet or milk chocolate because it adds depth and complexity the others lack. I spiked this concoction with some Frangelico, a liqueur made from hazelnuts.

I’m gonna have to run an extra mile tomorrow to make up for this. The only saving grace I had that made this somewhat nutrionally sound were the fruity additions. Either way, it was well worth the calories!